Shock-absorber for spring-vehicles.



PATENTED JULY a, 1906.

G. E. SHIPPEY.

SHOCK ABSORBER FOR SPRING VEHICLES.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 8, 1905.

HIS ATTORNEY GEORGE E. 'SHIPPEY, OF PITTSFIELD, MASSAUHUSETTS.

SHOCKQABSORBER FOR SPRING-VEHICLES.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented. July 3, 1906.

Application and November 8. 1905. Serial No. 286,414.

To all whom, it Uta/y concern.-

Be it known that I, GEORGE E. SHIPPEY, a citizen of the United States, residing at Pittsfield, in the county of Berkshire and Commonwealth of Massachusetts, have invented new and useful Improvements in Shock-Absorbers for Spring-Vehicles, of which the following is a full and complete specification, such as will enable those skilled in the art to which it appertains to 'rnakeand use the same.

This invention relates to shock-absorbers; and one object thereof is to provide an improved device which may be attached to a spring-vehicle, between the parts thereof, in such manner that the normal agitation of the superposed carriage and all sudden and violent jolting thereof resulting from rough travel is retarded and absorbed thereby; and

with this and other objects in view my invention consists in certainfeatures of construction and arrangement of parts, as hereinafter described, and indicated in the claims. Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, in which corresponding parts are indicated by similar reference characters in each of the views.

' Figure I is a side view of sections of a spring-vehicle with a shock-absorber constructed according to my invention and attached thereto; Fig. 2, a perspective edge view of the parts shown in Fig. 1 on a slightly reduced scale; Fig. 3, a top view of the roller-' holder H on the scale of Fig. 1.

Referring to the drawings, let F indicate a cross-section of the axle of a vehicle of any approved construction; D, a section of a series of parallel flat springs laid crosswise upon the axle F on either side of the vehicle, said springs forming an elastic connection between the underbody or progressive portion of the vehicle andthe superposed carriage movable relatively thereto; G, clamps secured to the axle F and holding the springs in position thereon; C, a section of the framework of the superposed carriage movably supported upon springs D. These parts maylbe of any suitable construction or materia A represents a wedge-spring, preferably constructed of a flat inetallie strip of springsteel or other suitable material, bent centrally at point 0 forming a U-shaped figure, one end thereof a being turned inwardly at right angles at the point a and adapted to bear movably against the opposite end of the strip at the point a. Said opposite end of of the strip-forms an elongated neck or shank provided at its extren'iity with a perforation consisting, preferably, of one or more round holes spaced apart or an elongated slot containing lateral notches for the introduction of a bolt or rivet/E, by which the spring A is laterally secured to the frame C and suspended therefrom, said bolt E further serving as a pivot for the spring A, affording 7 means for a lateral movement thereof for adjustment within the antifriction-rollers B.

The sides of the spring A are made elliptical, with their crowned centers turned inward, formingsa double-wedged spring, and are adapted to bear movably against the compression antifriction-rollers B, placed. centrally on either side thereof. Said antifriction-rollers consist of metallic cylinders movably mounted upon parallel bearingpins 1), secured at either end in the'sides or plates h of the holder H, said pins having their ends riveted in perforations provided for their reception in said plates h and being rigidly secured thereto in stationary positions.

H represents the holder provided for the support of the bearing-pins l2 and antifriction-rollers B mounted thereon, and is preferably constructed of sheet metal formed as shown in Fig. 3, and consists of two parallel side plates h of uniform dimensions spaced apart for the reception of the antifrictionrollers B and hold rigidly in position relatively to each other by a base-plate k preferably forming an integral part therewith. Said holder H is further provided with a fiat shank orhandle plate h, projected outwardly at right angles from the extended end of one of the side plates 71, at the top thereof, preferably forming an integral part therewith. Theholder H is rigidly secured in a stationary position. to the underbody of the vehicle for cooperation with the spring A by the introduction of the 'shankh between the axle F and the carriage-springs D clamped thereon, that'portion of the holder which supports the antifriction-rollers B extending laterally away from the springs D at a sufficient distance therefrom to allow free clearance for the respective movements of springs A andD.

The operation of my device is as follows: The depression of the movable carriageframe C under load strain, accelerated by a violent jolt or shock resulting from rough travel, forces the wedge-spring A dmvnward between the antifrirtion-rollers B, cmnpressing the divergent sides of tlie said spring, which are prevented from actual compact by the intercepting end (1. of one of them, closer together. The compression of the spring A between the. rollers B, as described, forms thus a cushioned resistance to the down Ward movement of the superposed carriage of the vehicle, the resistance being graduated increasingly to the extent of the force of the downward movement until the latter is overcome and the carriage brought to rest. The elevation of the frame C or recoil thereof due to the responsive action of the resilient springs D, upon which it is supported, re- Verses the operation previously described, compressing the lower portion of the wedgespring A between the antifriction-rollers B' in a similar manner and with like effect. These operations are continued alternately until the force actuating said wedge-spring is wholly expended-and absorbed by means of my device, when the movable carriage is brought to a state of rest.

It will be apparent that the size and strength of the'pa-rts composing my .device are proportioned to the .Weight and use of the vehicle to which it is a plied, while slight modifications of theipreerred form of their construction described in these specifica tions may be made without changing' their several functions or departing from the spirit of my invention.

Having fully described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent- 1. In a vehicle, comprising a progressive underbody and a superposed part movably supported thereon, mechanical means providing. a retarding effect upon the vertical movements of the said superposed part; said means comprising rollers adapted to compress intercepting resilient springs moving relatively thereto.

2. In vehicles, retarding mechanism comprising a resilient wedge-shaped spring, A, compression-rollers, B, a holder, H, supporting said rollers in stationary, parallel position, and means for operating said spring longitudinally between said rollers, for the purpose described.

3. In a vehicle, in combination with a progressive underbody and a superposed part movably supported thereon, mechanical retardmg means providing a yielding and gradually-increasing resistance to movements of the sair superposed part of the vehicle; said means comprising a reciprocally-acting doublo-wedgeshaped spring cooperating with stationary rollers compressing said spring centrally.

4. In retarding mechanism providing resistance to the movements of the superposed part of vehicles of the character described, the combination of compression rollers, I5, resilient double-wedge-shaped spring, A, in tercepting said rollers, means for supporting said parts in relative position and means for actuating said spring longitudinally, within said rollers. I

5. In a vehicle, the combination with a progressive underbody thereof, a superposed carriage supported thereon and movable rela tively thereto, and interposed spring connection, of double-wedge-shaped springs, A, actuated vertically by the said superposed carriage, provided with an extended shank, a and suspended laterally from the frame C of the said carriage, a bolt E securing the springs A. to the said frame passed through said frame and the shank of of said springs A, parallel antifrictio.nrollers B compressing said springs A laterally and mounted upon bearing-pins b, stationary bearing-pins b holding the said antifriction-rollers B in position relatively to the springs A and securely attached to a holder, H, provided therefor, and a holder II supporting the bearing-pins b and rollers B mounted thereon, comprising parallel side plates 72 intercepted by bearing pins 1) and containing perforations for the introduction of said bearing-pins, a. baseplate 7)? connecting and securely attached to said side plates h, and a shank or handle 7i rigidly attached to the extended end of one of said side plates,"'h, and pro'jrctedoutwardly at right angles therefrom; said holder II being held in rigid position relatively to springs-A by the introduction of the shank 72. thereof between the axle, F, of the said underbody of the vehicle and springs D secured thereon by clamps G, substantially as described and for the purpose set forth.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my invention I have hereunto signed my name, in the presence of the subscribing wit-,

nesses, this 7th day of November, A. D. 1905.

GEORGE E. SHIPPEYT "Vitnesses 1' CHARLES WV. WmTTLEsE IUTHERINE A. SOLON. 

